TJ Maxx Lantern Makeover {with a little paint}

I’m so glad it’s the weekend again, aren’t you? The only problem is they go by way too fast. Always do.

Too many projects & activities …never enough time.
I really think weekends should start on Thursday!
Who came up with the Monday-Friday work week anyway? And where are our
3 hour afternoon siestas? I definitely think we should implement that.

Ok….and back to the real world…..

…this weekend I hope to actually make a dent in that landscaping project(s) we started a couple
weeks ago. Maybe! I might even make some progress on the porch overhauls. We’ll see.

But today I thought I’d share with you this little lantern I picked up last week.

I’d been looking for one for awhile….but couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for.

You know those times you have something in mind? You can just see it. You know exactly what
you’re looking for but can not find it?

Yea, that happens to me all the time.

But no worries, I can usually come close with a little finagling …and some paint.Of course, right?

Like this lantern I picked up at TJ Maxx, for example.

It’s black, as you can see.
Which is a great color. But I wanted white or off white, sort of weathered looking.
I could probably find that all day long if I wasn’t actually looking for it.

Isn’t that how it always goes?

So I bought this one. I knew it would work okay, even though it wasn’t exactly what I
had envisioned. It just needed paint and a little weatherin’.

So paint is what it got.

Valspar Paint & Primer in one, flat finish from Lowe’s.

This was one I had left over from another project so just used it.

Spray paint and not Annie Sloan! Surprise. See? I told you I really do use other paints besides
chalk paint…sometimes.

I removed the glass inserts and started spraying.
It probably took about 3-4 passes, drying in between, to get everything covered.
Inside and out.

After it was dry I took some fine grit sandpaper and lightly sanded every single edge and detail.

I wanted it to look a bit “weathered”.
The black underneath really makes the edges “pop” where
I sanded them. Nice!

Once that was done I sprayed it with a coat of Minwax Polycrylic….

That sealed all the sanded edges and gave it a nice Satin sheen.

So, although this wasn’t quite what I had pictured in my mind exactly…it did turn out
quite well, I think!

The message here is never discount something. If you can’t find exactly what you are looking
for, find something close to it and/or make it, paint it, change it!

And in that same way, if you have something you no longer love, or love the color of, paint it!
It’s easy to do and can really change the look of something.

And it’s so easily done with all of the products we have available to us these days.

Think you might pull out the spray paint this weekend? Got something that needs a little refreshing?

It turned out so cute!! It definitely has the beachy look when it’s white. You are just so amazing with paint…want to come over and do some projects for me?! ;) Hope you’re having a great weekend, Miss Nancy!

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...an east coast girl who loves to find and re-invent old treasures, decorate and design rooms without spending a fortune....but have it look as if you did! I love history, health and just anything creative...

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